and  for freedom.    We  fight   for nothing*    We  don't  know why we  are  fighting -
we  are  only carrying out  orders.
No war?!
FERNANDO DOS SANTOS ROSA is twenty-four, married with one child. He had two
years of primary education and then became a shepherd. From the age of fourteen he worked on the landc In October, 1965 &e ran away to France to avoid
conscription. He worked for fourteen months in a factory. Then he received
a letter from his father asking him to return home for a family reunion at
Christmas - one of his brothers was returning on leave from military service in Angola.  So he returned with his other brother who had also been
working in France. However, when Fernando tried to go b^ack to France, he
was caught by the Spanish police. He was under arrest in Portugal for one
month and then released in order to get married. Three months later he
was again arrested, but this time by the military police for evading his
conscription. He spend 5 /2 months in the army in Portugal and was then
posted to Mozambique, where he was sent to Nambude. There the officers
said that there was no war,( only half a dozen bandits in the bush who were
not dangerous.
Some days after his arrival, on the 11 February, his platoon went on a patrol
into the bush. "About 2 72 Kilometres from the post we hit a mine. The
African guide in front was gravely wounded and two soldiers were killed. We
immediately returned to the pest and did not leave again until 9 March, when
v/e went out on an operation against a FRELIMO base. We marched the whole
day with only one combat ration - food for one meal. A helicopter was supposed to come later and bring more food, but did not appear. We camped and
left at 6.00 the following morning* After a few hours the platoon in front
fell into an ambusho There was heavy fighting and several soldiers were
killed. When the fighting- viae over, this platoon lefused to continue in
front, so the commander ordered my platoon, which had been in the rear, to
go to the front. We set off towards the south, by now very hungry and
thirsty - only the soldiers, that is, because the officers had plenty to
eat and drink.  As the guide knew that there was water in the east we
headed in that direction. We reached the water late at night and camped
there. Early next morning when we went to put water in our canteens, we
noted a small path.  It was decided that this might lead to the FRELIMO base,
so the commander ordered us to prepare to march. However, FRELIMO soldiers
had organised an ambush ahead of us, The guide saw them and opened fire.
There was heavy fighting with bazookas and mortars. Some of our soldiers
were killed, others wounded* Eventually the FRELIMO group retreated south
but, instead of ordering us to pursue them in that direction, the commander
ordered us to organise a search in the east. We thus headed east. The officers started eating again0 For the third consecutive day we had no food.
Apparently, as they knew we might be near a FRELIMO base, they had not sent
out the helicopter to bring us food* Consequently, we did not eat."
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